Connecting-Roots: Child Protection Statement
The safety and welfare of all children is central to Connecting-Roots therapeutic services.
We are all responsible for the protection of children and all concerns about a child’s safety or well being will be followed up and dealt with as quickly and as sensitively as possible. We will seek to ensure a safe environment for all children using Connecting-Roots services. Staff and volunteers accept and recognise our responsibilities to develop awareness of the issues which cause children harm.
Policy and Procedures:
- Connecting-Roots is committed to provide high quality therapeutic services to children and families.
- The needs of a child are our first concern and we will always act to ensure their safety and protection. Our code of practice is outlined on attached link (located below).
- The best results for children are achieved in partnership with their parents/carers and we will work in this way at all times, unless we feel that this would cause a child further harm.
- Connecting-Roots staff will report any concerns that a child is being abused or harmed in any way to the Social Services department and their Supervisor.
- Any help offered should be the best for that child or family and we will work openly and flexibly with parents/ carers, children and other agencies to ensure that this happens.
- We recognise some groups of children may be most vulnerable to abuse, for example disabled children, and the policy and procedure applies to all children irrespective of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
- Connecting-Roots staff will ensure they undertake regular Safeguarding Training and Supervision.
- Risk assessments will be undertaken to ensure the safety of Connecting-Roots staff visiting families (where applicable) in their homes.
- Connecting-Roots staff will not bring a child into their home or their car unless this is unavoidable and they have the full knowledge and consent of the child’s carer. This will further be reported to the Supervisor.
- Connecting-Roots staff will retain a professional relationship with a child and not abuse their position of trust to enhance this relationship to become intimate.
- Should any staff member of Connecting-Roots become involved in any incident or accident , this should be discussed with their Supervisor and/or Social Services and reported in the Connecting-Roots Incident and Accident Log Book.
- Children must be supervised at all times.
- Staff at Connecting-Roots should not be subjected to abuse, violent or aggressive behaviour and incidents should be recorded and reported to their Supervisor and/or Social Services.
- Information relating to a child, their family and/or carer must be secured in a lockable storage unit and not shared with a third party without permission from the Local Authority and the child’s parent/carer.
- Staff at Connecting-Roots will undertake their work with a child and their parent/carer in a professional manner with honesty, openness, fairness, and be free from judgement and opinion.
- Safeguards will be put in place to maximize a child’s right to protection and children will know that they have the right to:
Be Safe: Teach children that everyone has rights. Tell children that no one should take away their right to be safe.
Protect their own bodies: Children need to know that their body belongs to them, particularly their private parts covered by their swimsuits.
Say NO: Tell children that it is alright to say no to anyone if that person tries to do something to them they feel is wrong. Most children are taught to listen to and obey adults and older people without question. Disabled children in particular are taught to be compliant.
Get help against bullies: Bullies usually pick on younger children. Tell children to enlist the help of friends or say no without fighting – and to tell an adult. Bullies are cowards and a firm, loud ‘no’ from a gang of children with the threat of adult intervention often puts them off.
To tell: You must assure children that no matter what happens you will not be angry with them and that you want them to tell you of any incident that frightens or confuses them or makes them unhappy.
To be believed: When children are told to go to an adult for help they need to know they will be believed and supported. This is especially true in the case of sexual abuse which children very rarely lie about. If the child is not believed when he or she tells, the abuse may continue for years and result in suffering and guilt for the child.
Not to keep secrets: Teach children that some secrets should never be kept, no matter if they promised not to tell. Child abusers known to the child often say that a kiss or touch is ‘our secret’. This confuses the child who has been taught not to keep secrets.